One of my Los Angeles clients was recently approved for naturalization. I began representing her five years ago when she was stopped at the airport and put into removal proceedings because she had two crimes involving moral turpitude from ten years prior. When she was a teenager she was convicted of writing bad checks – misdemeanors. When she tried to enter the US after a trip abroad, she was deemed inadmissible and put into removal proceedings. We did a motion to change venue from Texas to Los Angeles. Then, for the next four years we pursued cancellation of removal, which was approved by an immigration judge earlier this year. After the deportation case was finished, we began the naturalization case. Everything went smoothly at the interview. The officer asked some questions about the prior convictions, but the general tone of the interview was cordial and friendly. My client will take her naturalization oath in the next month. If you are considering the naturalization process, contact Nelson & Nuñez, P.C. Especially if you have a criminal conviction, you need to consult an experienced immigration attorney before filing. Otherwise, you could end up in removal proceedings, which can take many years and cost a lot of money to defend. Nelson & Nuñez, P.C. will personally meet with you and help you understand your position and chances for success with naturalization.Categories: cancellation of removal, crime of moral turpitude, deportation, immigration lawyer, Los Angeles, motion to change venue, naturalization, Orange County

We recently received approvals for a husband and wife to obtain their permanent resident green cards. They entered the US in the early 1990s. The wife entered on a visitor visa. The husband entered without inspection (EWI). The wife worked as a cook for many years and her employer filed a labor certification for her in the late 1990s. For many years, she tried to convert the labor certification into a green card, but she was represented by several inexperienced attorneys that botched and re-botched her case for years. Ultimately, I helped her son obtain his green card through marriage, and subsequently helped him become a US citizen through naturalization. After he became a US citizen, we filed visa petitions and I-485 adjustment of status applications for his parents (as the parents of a US citizen). Because the mother entered legally, we filed a standard I-130 visa petition and I-485 concurrently; however, because the father entered illegally, we filed a 245i adjustment case for him (requiring an additional $1000 filing fee). .

At the interview everything went smoothly. I had worked with the Santa Ana officer many times and she approved the case. When my clients finally received the permanent resident cards, they were overjoyed and relieved. Over the years many attorneys had made false promises, so they were skeptical that I would resolve the case until they finally received the cards in hand. Now, they can live and work in the United States without fear that they could be separated from each other and their children without warning. After 20 years of calling the US their home, they now have the legal status to feel safe here. If you are in the US illegally, contact Nelson & Nuñez to schedule a consultation. Nelson & Nuñez will help you better understand your situation and whether you have options for obtaining a green card.Categories: adjustment of status, EWI, green card, I-130, I-485, immigration lawyer, interview, Mexico, naturalization, permanent resident, Santa Ana, visa petition

We just received an approval notice for an I-751 petition to remove conditions on permanent residency for one of our Huntington Beach clients. We filed the case earlier this year prior to the expiration of the husband conditional permanent resident card expiration. It took USCIS less than five months to approve the case. We originally represented this client in the adjustment of status process based on his marriage to his US citizen wife. At the time of the adjustment of status the couple’s marriage was less than two years old; therefore, by law, he was granted conditional permanent resident status for two years. Towards the end of the two year period, he was required to file the Form I-751 with USCIS in order to have the conditions on permanent residency removed. Unlike the adjustment of status process which requires an interview with a USCIS officer, the I-751 interview is optional at the discretion of USCIS. If USCIS believes the evidence provided with the I-751 was sufficient, the USCIS officer can approve the case without an interview in the Santa Ana office. In this case, we provided approximately 90 pages of evidence in support of our I-751. The couple was extremely happy to hear that the husband would be issued a ten-year green card. I advised that he will be eligible to naturalize as a US citizen in approximately one year. As the spouse of a US citizen, a permanent resident that has been 1) married for three years and 2) a permanent resident for three years, is eligible to become a US citizen through naturalization. If you are a conditional permanent resident and your two year expiration date is approaching, contact Nelson & Nuñez to schedule a consultation. It’s best to contact us about six months before the expiration date. This allows us ample time to prepare a persuasive and effective case.